Lightwave

Autodesk MatchMover Import for LW11

Lightwave 11.6 python script for importing an XSI vbscript file exported from Autodesk MatchMover.

Blender Particle Conversion for LW11

Lightwave 11.6 python script for converting Blender particle cache files to a Lightwave particle pfx file.

Tutorial Link: Blender SPH Fluid Particles to Lightwave

Blender Fluids Importer

Lightwave 11.5 python script for loading the files generated by the Blender fluids simulation. It reads the geometry, velocity and particles information to generate a series of lwo files.

Tutorial Link: Blender Fluids to Lightwave

Box Shape for LW11

Lightwave 11.6 python script for creating a custom box shape with a non-modal interface. It will show in the Object Properties, Add Custom Object list as "Python Box Shape".

Info Panel for LW11.6

Lightwave 11.6 python script for displaying and modifying an object name and transform values.

HDR to Lights

Lightwave 11.5 python script used to call the medianCut script written by Steve Twist for 3DWorld Issue #134 based on Paul Debevec's Median Cut Algorithm (Debevec 2005). It reads a HDR image and creates a set of lights based on the image.

Fix Exported Collada for LW2018 python script

The Fix Collada export script is a Lightwave 2018 Python script that is run on a LW exported Collada file to clean it, add camera and light animation and fixes some pivot issues in the exports.

Fix Exported Collada for LW11 python script

The Fix Collada export script is a Lightwave 11 Python script that is run on a LW exported Collada file to clean it and add camera and light animation. The script also fixes some issues with material exports.

Fix Collada Import python scripts

The Collada Import Fixer Layout script is a Lightwave 11 Python script that is run on a Collada file to read camera and light data. This script will read the camera X fov or Y fov and the corresponding fov animation, light color and spotlight angle with animations and ambient light value without animations. Reads material textures from the collada file.

The Make Collada Spotlight Readable Layout script adds some Lightwave Core extra tags so that Lightwave will recognize a spotlight and import it.

Some python notes

import sys
sys.version - shows python version
LW11.6.3 shows 2.7.5 as the version number

message box

• import lwsdk
• lwsdk.LWMessageFuncs().info('Hello World', None)
  • alert level medium ->status line
  • alert level high -> dialog box

help(lwsdk.LWMessageFuncs.info)

help(lwsdk)

dir(lwsdk)

double click line in output window to populate command line

autocomplete for visual studio

• install python v 2.7.x - "x" is whatever version is current (assumes LW version 2.7.y
• set permissions for user to full control on folder ...NewTek\LightWave11.6.3\support\plugins\scripts\Python
• unzip the archive to the scripts folder (...NewTek\LightWave11.6.3\support\plugins\scripts\Python\)
• open Layout and run the script - generate_interface_files.py and choose the python site-packages folder(C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages)
• install pycharm or visual studio or visual studio code
• if pycharm setup to use the python 2.7.x and the path to the lightwave bin (...NewTek\LightWave11.6.3\bin)
• visual studio code - install python extension
• if python not in path - View > Command Palette..., "Select Workspace Interpreter" choose the python.exe
• autocomplete maybe a little slow

Sequence Object Surface Loader python script

Use this LW 11.5 script to copy the surface of one object onto a sequence of objects. It can be used with the Blender Fluids importer to resurface the sequence of lwo files.

Square python script(2018)

right click the link above to download

Demonstrates mesh creation in modeler

Lightwave 11.6 version

Lightwave 11.5 version

Log Spiral python script

right click the link above to download

The Log Spiral script is my second experiment with Lightwave 11's Python scripting.  The original code is from an article in 3D Artist magazine Issue #49 by Petr Sorfa for the Hash Animation software package.  The script can be run from the the Utilities tab > Python.  It can also be linstalled like an Lscript or plugin by using the Utilities > Add Plugin in which case it will show up under the Utilities > Additional list under the name "Python LogSpiral".

works in LW2018

Morph Sequencer script

Lightwave lscript for converting a a series of morphs into a morph sequence. The script creates intermediate morphs that can be added to the final morph at set intervals to simulate a morphing sequence.

Usage:

1. type number of morphs to use - the first morphs listed will be used
2. type a prefix name for the new intermediate morphs
3. choose morph order from the drop down lists
4. choose whether interpolation is linear or not(no effect on the last morph)
5. press ok to generate the intermediate morphs and the expressions to drive them
6. copy the expressions to a temp location
7. in layout: copy the expressions to the corresponding morphs
8. final result: intermediate morphs are driven by the final/last morph values to create a sequential morph action
   

Poly Chain to Curve script

Lightwave lscript for converting a 2 point polygon chain to a curve. Right click the link to download the script. Install this script to modeler to use the multiple poly chains to curves script below.

Usage:
Set a background layer to receive the new curve. Select the first point of the polygon chain in the foreground layer then run the script. A curve based on the poly chain will be created in the background layer.

Multiple Poly Chains to Curves script can be used to call the poly chain to curve for multiple selections. Right click to download.

Usage:
The "single poly chain to curve" script above must be installed to modeler before using the "multiple poly chains to curves" script. Set the background layer to receive the new curves and select the first point of each of the 2 point poly chains in the foreground layer. Run the script and it will call the "single poly chain to curve" script for each point selected.

Note: Converting many poly chains can take time.

Place Camera FOV animation on a null's transform

Lightwave collada does not export camera field of view(FOV) animation. This lscript transfers the animation to the position and rotation of a null so that whatever program reads the Lightwave collada file can reconstruct the camera animation.

Place Light animation on a null's transform

Lightwave collada does not export light color or spotlight cone angle animation. This lscript transfers the animation to the position, rotation and scale of a null so that whatever program reads the Lightwave collada file can reconstruct the light animation.

SubD UV Preparation script for Lightwave

Lscript that converts subd uv's into a clean format for eps export. Right click on the link to download the script.

default subd eps export, frozen mesh eps export, "subd preped" eps export

Usage:

• Save the object file to insure it's safety.
• Set the uv subpatch interpolation to "Subpatch".
• Run the script.
• Export the UV by using the EPS export.

The script copies the geometry to a new layer, assigns a unique surface to each face, freezes the mesh and combines the polygons based on their surface.

Doom3(idtech4) Plugins for Lightwave 11

A set of 5 python scripts for importing and exporting Doom3 skeletal mesh and animation files. Right click on the links below to download the python scripts.

Collada Weight map loader scripts and program

Lightwave lscript and executable for loading weightmaps from Collada files so that bones will bind to the proper vertices. daeSkin2weight.exe reads a collada file and creates a text file in the same location. the text file contains the weight map information. daeSkinLoad.ls is an lscript to read the text file generated by the daeSkin2weight program and assigns the vertices to their weight maps. boneweightmap.ls is a layout script that sets the selected bones to use a weightmap with the same name as the bone.

Usage:

1. if the collada file does not load properly into lightwave, load it into blender3d(2.5 alpha) and export a new collada file
2. run the daeSkin2weight program and open the collada file. a text file will be created with the same name as the dae file but with a txt extension
3. load the collada file into layout to get both mesh and bones
4. load the resulting lwo file into modeler and run the daeSkinLoad script to load the weightmaps from the text file
5. load the updated object back into layout
6. run the boneweightmap script to assign the weightmaps to the corresponding bones

Note:

The executable won't work for files that have spaces in their path. so it won't work in paths like "C:\Program Files" or "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users"

LW2018 need to reparent skeleton to the mesh

source code - uses visual studio 2008 and the colladadom2.2 sdk